The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has released new survey results indicating what the agency describes as record-high levels of trust among veterans who have used its services.
According to the VA, 82 percent of veterans who accessed services during the first quarter of fiscal year 2026 reported that they trust the department to fulfill the nation’s commitment to them. The data reflects responses from veterans who used a range of services, including health care, benefits processing, burial services, and memorial programs.
The VA also reported higher trust levels within outpatient health care, where 93.6 percent of veterans surveyed said they trust the department for their health care needs.
“Veterans First isn’t a slogan, it’s a promise—and it starts with listening,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins, referring to the department’s efforts to gather and respond to feedback from veterans.
The findings are based on the VA’s quarterly trust survey, which measures veterans’ experiences across several categories, including ease of access, effectiveness of services, and overall interaction with the department. In the most recent results, 77.3 percent of respondents said it was easy to obtain the care or services they needed, while 81.4 percent reported that they successfully received those services. Additionally, 79.5 percent said they felt like a valued customer during their interactions with the VA.
The agency stated that veteran feedback remains a central component of its efforts to improve services. Since May 2016, the VA reports that it has distributed nearly 124 million digital surveys and received more than 17.8 million responses. Of those, more than 6.1 million included written comments from veterans describing their experiences.
Alongside the survey data, the VA provided operational figures outlining the scope of services delivered during the same period. The department reported that more than 4.8 million veterans received health care, accounting for over 29 million clinical encounters. These included approximately 19.2 million in-person appointments and 7.4 million conducted through telehealth or telephone services.
The VA also reported answering 14.5 million calls across its contact centers. This total included more than 292,000 calls to the Veterans Crisis Line and approximately 45,500 calls to the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans.
In addition, the department processed nearly 750,000 disability and pension claims, more than one million education and supplemental claims, and about 170,900 home loan guarantees during the quarter.
All figures and survey results cited in this report were released by the Department of Veterans Affairs as part of its official quarterly update on veteran trust and service performance.